THE WORLD OF VALMONT Global Citizen discovers beauty and skincare

SPIRIT & STYLE

RADO has opened its sixth boutique in the UAE, celebrating the brand’s pioneering spirit and evolution of style.

aised in the Biel region of Switzerland, what was it like growing up in a town with such a significant legacy for watchmaking? My father was a watch enthusiast and many of our acquaintances worked in the watch industry that is deeply rooted in the region. I, therefore, developed a love for the art of watchmaking from my early childhood and it grew stronger every day since.

You joined RADO as CEO in 2020. What was your vision for the brand under your leadership? Rado is in many countries the leading watch brand in our price segment. My vision is to strengthen and further promote the Rado brand worldwide.

RADO’s story began when it was first registered as a brand in 1928. What does RADO mean? Rado comes from the artificially created world language Esperanto and means wheel, one of the most important components in any watch movement.

Do you have a favourite piece in the collection? I have three children, asking about my favourite watch in the Rado collection is like choosing a favourite child. As with my offspring, I love all Rado timepieces equally, they are all unique, profiled and complementary.

In March, the brand opened its sixth boutique in the UAE — it’s fourth in Dubai — on Al Fahidi Street in Meena Bazaar. What drove the decision for this location? Rivoli has started their business activities in Dubai in 1988 in exactly this location. This address represent Rivoli’s roots. We are very honoured to have the privilege to be present here and is underlining the close collaboration of Rado and Rivoli.

RADO has an exclusive partnership with Rivoli Group in the UAE. What does this partnership mean to the brand? Rado was the first brand to sell watches in the region in the early seventies. Our brand is exclusively distributed by Rivoli since over 12 years in Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. Based on their tremendous experience in the retail business, Rivoli stores provide our customers with a first-class purchase experience that leaves nothing to be desired.

How would you describe the enduring appeal of the brand? Why does one choose RADO over one of your competitors? There are many reasons but the two most important ones are design and material competence. Rado has very iconic design beauties in the collection and as master of materials, we have close to 40 years of experience in the production of high-tech ceramic. Lightweight and scratch resistance are two of the numerous benefits we offer our customers. Our collection encompasses watches in the sport, lifestyle and classic segment. We have premium timepieces for customers with high expectations and for every occasion.

Can you speak to your ceramic manufacturing and, in particular, the latest Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver collection? Without a doubt, Rado has the biggest and the most competent infrastructure for the production of high-tech ceramic.Our engineers and R&D teams are continuously developing our production technologies to surprise our global customers. The vision of our founders still holds true: “if we can imagine it, we can make it. And if we can make it, we will do it!” The latest Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver collection is a clear statement of how we can merge a traditional iconic design from the 60ies with the most modern watchmaking technologies.

2021 was a great year for the brand, winning multiple product design awards for the True Square collection. Are any exciting new product designs coming soon? Rado never stands still. After the great success with the designer collaborations we decided to continue such collaborations with our most iconic product – the DiaStar Original. Stay tuned….!

As e-commerce continues to accelerate in the world of retail, how does selling online impact the buying and selling process versus selling in person at a boutique? Ecommerce is an important, complementary distribution channel, which must be equally qualitative as our stores. But the brick and mortar stores will remain our biggest sales channel and the touch and feel experience in combination with the consultation by our highly qualified retail staff is truly unique experience.

What do the next five years look like for RADO and for you personally? Without a doubt Rado will in the next 5 years surprise and excite more and more customers worldwide. The Rado team is working on the future.